Castle on the Rise - Kristy Cambron

My Rating

★★★★★ - You have bewitched me, body and soul. (More Info)

About the Book

A storied castle. A band of rebels.

A nation chasing a centuries-old dream of freedom.

And three women who rise above it all . . .

When Laine Forrester travels overseas to attend her best friend’s vineyard wedding, she expects to find the bride on the brink of a fairy-tale life. But after a series of unforeseen setbacks, it seems the storybook lives they’d imagined are suddenly ripping apart.

With hopes of resurrecting a happy ending, Laine agrees to accompany the newlyweds to the groom’s home in Ireland—never expecting she’d be the one drawn in by its wide-open moors, backroads bordering the Irish Sea, and a mysterious castle that dares to keep its secrets hidden.

From the storied streets of Dublin to the shores of the Emerald Isle, Laine is drawn in to the land and its rich history. The castle ruins whisper stories of Issy—a photojournalist battling through the 1916 Easter Rising, and Maeve—the castle’s lady of legend, fighting for survival through the 1798 rebellion that started it all.

Spanning more than two centuries, Castle on the Rise unites the legacy of three women who must risk mending the broken places within for life, love, and the belief that even through the depths of our pain, a masterpiece of a story can emerge.

My Thoughts

Kristy Cambron's books are always bursting with so many emotions. Castle on the Rise is no different. While in the same series as The Lost Castle, with some of the same characters reappearing, there is a decidedly different tone to this story. With the focus of the historical threads around Irish uprisings and their fight for independence, there are several aspects of the present day thread that cause all the feels. (There are some things that could be triggers as well.)

Traveling through the different eras can seem a bit quick, but it definitely made me want to keep reading. Getting to know Laine on a deeper level and learning more about the history of Ireland was simply a fantastic combination. The hope and love and rebellion woven throughout this story captures the heart and imagination in a very real way. Cambron's ability to write raw, tangible faith has always blown me away.

Even though the setting is different from book one, I highly recommend starting this series with The Lost Castle. There is background information that I would consider crucial to the storyline in this book. And don't miss book three, The Painted Castle, arriving on shelves October 2019.

I received a complimentary copy of Castle on the Rise from the publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

About the Author

KRISTY CAMBRON is an award-winning author of historical fiction, including her bestselling debut The Butterfly and the Violin, and an author of Bible studies, including the Verse Mapping series. She's a Women's Ministry Leader at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY, and a passionate storyteller who travels to speak at events across the country, encouraging women to experience a deeper life in the Word through verse mapping. Her work has been named to Publishers Weekly Religion & Spirituality TOP 10, Library Journal Reviews' Best Books, RT Reviewers' Choice Awards, and received 2015 & 2017 INSPY Award nominations. Kristy holds a degree in Art History/Research Writing, and has 15 years of experience in education and leadership development for a Fortune-100 Corporation, working with such companies as the Disney Institute, IBM/Kenexa, and Gallup. She lives in Indiana with her husband and three sons, and can probably be bribed with a coconut mocha latte and a good read.

Facebook // Instagram // Pinterest // Twitter // Website

More Books by Kristy Cambron on Bookworm Mama

A Sparrow in Terezin - A Hidden Masterpiece Novel Book 2 - Kristy Cambron

My Rating

★★★★★ - You have bewitched me, body and soul. (More Info)

About the Book

Bound together across time, two women will discover a powerful connection through one survivor's story of hope in the darkest days of a war-torn world.

Present Day—With the grand opening of her new art gallery and a fairytale wedding just around the corner, Sera James feels she's stumbled into a charmed life—until a brutal legal battle against fiancé William Hanover threatens to destroy the perfectly planned future she’s planned before it even begins. Now, after an eleventh-hour wedding ceremony and a callous arrest, William faces a decade in prison for a crime he never committed, and Sera must battle the scathing accusations that threaten her family and any hope for a future.

London, 1942—Kája Makovsky narrowly escaped occupied Prague in 1939, and was forced to leave her half-Jewish family behind. Now a reporter for the Daily Telegraph in England, Kája discovers the terror has followed her across the Channel in the shadowy form of the London Blitz. When she learns Jews are being exterminated by the thousands on the continent, Kája has no choice but to return to her mother city, risking her life to smuggle her family to freedom and peace.

Connecting across a century through one little girl, a Holocaust survivor with a foot in each world, these two women will discover a kinship that springs even in the darkest of times. In this tale of hope and survival, Sera and Kája must cling to the faith that sustains and fight to protect all they hold dear—even if it means placing their own futures on the line. (From the author's website)

My Thoughts

Can you tell I love Kristy's books? And with this, I am OFFICIALLY caught up with all of her released books. (Now to sit patiently for the release of the next castle book.)

I said it in a different post, but I am apparently a glutton for punishment and decide to read all the books that will rip out my heart and stomp on it back to back. Story SHOULD move you though. As you read the words of the author's heart poured out on the page...If you finish unchanged...What was the point? These characters, these stories, may be fictional, but they represent many people who had to live through one of the darkest times in history. Ask yourself, what can we learn from them? What are they trying to tell us? Fiction CAN and WILL challenge you to grow, to learn, to thrive...

Multiple times I wanted to cry (and there were times tears escaped) while listening to this story. Knowing that the horrors depicted in this book were lived out in reality during WWII. Kristy Cambron...I tip my hat to you...You have found BEAUTY in the ashes of a history that is riddled with sorrow and death. You have brought redemption to life on the page. You have spoken TRUTH and LIFE and LOVE into the hearts of any who lay a hand on your books. But none more so than this one*. Thank you. A Sparrow in Terezin truly is a masterpiece.

*Revision: And The Lost Castle

I won a print copy of this book from the author. This review is based on the audio version which I borrowed from my public library. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

About the Author

KRISTY CAMBRON has a background in art and design, but she fancies life as a vintage-inspired storyteller. She is the bestselling author of The Ringmaster’s Wife, named to Publishers Weekly Spring 2016 Religion & Spirituality TOP 10. Her novels have been named to Library Journal Reviews’ Best Books and RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards Best lists for 2014 & 2015, and received a 2015 INSPY Awards nomination for best debut novel. The Illusionist’s Apprentice (HarperCollins, 2017) is her fourth novel. Her first Bible study DVD and study guides, The Verse Mapping series, will release in 2018.

Kristy holds a degree in Art History from Indiana University, and has 15 years experience in education and leadership development for a Fortune-100 Corporation. She loves storytelling from the stage and travels to speak about her love for Bible Verse Mapping throughout the year. Kristy lives in Indiana with her husband and three sons, where she can probably be bribed with a coconut mocha latte and a good read.

The last and most important thing? Jesus Christ is everything — let her tell you about Him sometime.

Books by Kristy Cambron on Bookworm Mama

Many thanks to Canva for providing an AMAZING program for me to design all these beautiful graphics. Book covers, publisher/tour logos, and author pictures not owned by me. All other graphics created by Bookworm Mama with public domain photos on Canva unless stated otherwise. 

The Lost Castle - Kristy Cambron

My Rating

★★★★★★ - Heaven help me, you taste like Christmas! (More Info)

About the Book

A thirteenth century castle, Château de Doux Rêves, has been forgotten for generations, left to ruin in a storybook forest nestled deep in France’s picturesque Loire Valley...

Ellie Carver arrives at her grandmother’s bedside expecting to find her silently slipping away. Instead, the beloved old woman begins speaking. Of a secret past and castle ruins forgotten by time. Of a hidden chapel that served as a rendezvous for the French resistance in World War II. Of lost love and deep regret . . .

Each piece that unlocks the story seems to unlock part of Ellie too—where she came from and who she is becoming. But her grandmother is quickly disappearing into the shadows of Alzheimer’s and Ellie must act fast if she wants to uncover the truth of her family’s history. Drawn by the mystery surrounding The Sleeping Beauty—a forgotten castle so named for Charles Perrault’s beloved fairy tale—Ellie embarks on a journey to France’s Loire Valley in hopes that she can unearth its secrets before time silences them forever.

First Line Friday - A Sparrow in Terezin

Happy Friday! No more sickies in this house! Woohoo! Looking forward to a fun weekend. Celebrating my new job with my best friend, hanging out with other good friends, having a style show (Premier Designs), and chillin' with the family....And reading...ALWAYS reading!

Today's book is one that I JUST finished. Be on the look out for my review coming next week! 

The Butterfly and the Violin - Hidden Masterpiece Book 1 - Kristy Cambron

My Rating

★★★★★ - You have bewitched me, body and soul. (More Info)

About the Book

A Mysterious painting breathes hope and beauty into the darkest corners of Auschwitz--and the loneliest hearts of Manhattan.

Manhattan art dealer Sera James watched her world crumble at the altar two years ago, and her heart is still fragile. Her desire for distraction reignites a passion for a mysterious portrait she first saw as a young girl--a painting of a young violinist with piercing blue eyes.

In her search for the painting, Sera crosses paths with William Hanover--the grandson of a wealthy California real estate mogul--who may be the key to uncovering the hidden masterpiece. Together Sera and William slowly unravel the story behind the painting's subject: Austrian violinist Adele Von Bron.

A darling of the Austrian aristocracy of 1942, talented violinist, and daughter to a high-ranking member of the Third Reich, Adele risks everything when she begins smuggling Jews out of Vienna. In a heartbeat, her life of prosperity and privilege dissolves into a world of starvation and barbed wire.

As Sera untangles the secrets behind the painting, she finds beauty in the most unlikely of places: the grim camps of Auschwitz and the inner recesses of her own troubled heart. (From Goodreads)

My Thoughts

Set during one of the most horrific times in human history, be prepared for an emotional and heart wrenching journey to Auschwitz. 

Kristy Cambron has long been a favorite of mine. However, I have only now had the opportunity to read her debut novel. And I was blown away! The depth of emotion, the spiritual journey that all of the characters undergo, the style of writing is all so beautiful. Kristy's voice is unique and stands out among the masses of WWII novels. She brings to life the love, hope, despair, and passion of history on every page. 

It is always hard for me to read stories set in WWII. Especially inside the concentration camps. But while the characters in thus book may not have "actually" lived, they are birthed from true events. I believe these stories are important for us to read. So that we never forget those who lost their lives and so we can see the HOPE and the LOVE that carried the world through one of its darkest times. 

The split timeline is an aspect of this book that gives it a unique and completed feel. We get to see the story come full circle and that is incredible. This is very well done and very easy to follow. 

If you read WWII fiction, you will fall in love with this book. I highly recommend and am off to start A Sparrow in Terezín now. 

I have purchased this book, won a print copy, and for this specific review, I borrowed the audio book from my library. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

About the Author

KRISTY CAMBRON has a background in art and design, but she fancies life as a vintage-inspired storyteller. She is the bestselling author of The Ringmaster’s Wife, named to Publishers Weekly Spring 2016 Religion & Spirituality TOP 10. Her novels have been named to Library Journal Reviews’ Best Books and RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards Best lists for 2014 & 2015, and received a 2015 INSPY Awards nomination for best debut novel. The Illusionist’s Apprentice (HarperCollins, 2017) is her fourth novel. Her first Bible study DVD and study guides, The Verse Mapping series, will release in 2018.

Kristy holds a degree in Art History from Indiana University, and has 15 years experience in education and leadership development for a Fortune-100 Corporation. She loves storytelling from the stage and travels to speak about her love for Bible Verse Mapping throughout the year. Kristy lives in Indiana with her husband and three sons, where she can probably be bribed with a coconut mocha latte and a good read.

The last and most important thing? Jesus Christ is everything — let her tell you about Him sometime. 

Facebook | Pinterest | Twitter | Website

Books by Kristy Cambron on Bookworm Mama

Many thanks to Canva for providing an AMAZING program for me to design all these beautiful graphics. Book covers, publisher/tour logos, and author pictures not owned by me. All other graphics created by Bookworm Mama with public domain photos on Canva unless stated otherwise. 

Favorite Line Friday - The Illusionist's Apprentice - Kristy Cambron

Happy Friday!

Welcome to the next edition of FAVORITE Line Friday! This week's featured author is Kristy Cambron. You can read the spotlight HERE, where you can find a full excerpt from The Illusionist's Apprentice. But today I am going to share with you ONE of my favorite lines from this book with you! Don't forget to enter the giveaway via the Rafflecopter form below! It is open until 9/1/17 12:00am PDT! 

Now it's your turn! Post your first line below and blog hop and join in more First Line fun! 

A Baker's Perspective // All the Book Blog Names are Taken // Bibliophile Reviews //

Book Reviews by Tima //  C Jane Read // Christian Fiction Girl // Encouraging Words from the Tea Queen // 

Faithfully Bookish // Fiction Aficionado // It's Storytime With Van Daniker // Iola Goulton //  

Joy of Reading // Kathleen Denly // Lauraine's Notes //  Molly's Cafinated-Reads //
Moments Dipped in Ink // Radiant Light // Reading is my SuperPower // Robin's Nest // 
Romances of the Cross // Singing Librarian // With a Joyful Noise

I have collaborated with all of these authors and I am so excited for this giveaway! I am giving away a box of FIVE books...All signed (one signed bookplate sticker) by the authors! I will also be including some bookish/reading items in the box of books, bookmarks, tea, chocolate, etc. Each "Blogiversary" post will have MORE options to enter to win, so make sure you check back. Today we are kicking it off pretty easy! Please enter via the Rafflecopter form below. If you are having difficulties please email me and we will get your name entered.

Kristy's Book Included in the Giveaway is a SIGNED copy  of The Illusionist's Apprentice.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**ONE (1) Winner will be selected by Rafflecopter at the end of the giveaway**

Books provided for giveaway by the individual authors and myself. Books included: Just the Way You Are, The Lady and the Lionheart, The Illusionist's Apprentice, Newton & Polly, Behind the Scenes. I am not compensated for any portion of this giveaway. Some of the books were donated for the giveaway. Giveaway will run 8/1/17 - 9/1/17 at 12:00am PDT. Open internationally. Void where prohibited. Please see Policies and Disclosures for more information. *Bookish swag items subject to change*

Author Spotlight + Giveaway - Kristy Cambron

KRISTY CAMBRON has a background in art and design, but she fancies life as a vintage-inspired storyteller. She is the bestselling author of The Ringmaster’s Wife, named to Publishers Weekly Spring 2016 Religion & Spirituality TOP 10. Her novels have been named to Library Journal Reviews’ Best Books and RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards Best lists for 2014 & 2015, and received 2015 & 2017 INSPY Award nominations. The Lost Castle (HarperCollins, series debut in 2018) is her fifth novel. Her first Bible studies (DVD + study guides), The Verse Mapping series, will release in 2018.

Kristy holds a degree in Art History/Research Writing, and has 15 years experience in education and leadership development for a Fortune-100 Corporation. She loves storytelling from the stage and travels to teach about the intersection of story roads, faith-following Jesus, and her affection for Bible Verse-Mapping. Kristy laughs daily with her husband and three sons, and can probably be bribed with a coconut mocha latte and a good read.

The last and most important thing? Jesus Christ is everything — let her tell you about Him sometime.

Click on the cover to learn more.

Hidden Masterpiece Series

Jazz Age Entertainers Books

Coming Soon!

Launching a brand-new series, Kristy Cambron explores the collision of past and present as she discovers the ruins of a French castle, long lost to history.

A thirteenth century castle, Château de Doux Rêves, has been forgotten for generations, left to ruin in a storybook forest nestled deep in France’s picturesque Loire Valley. It survived a sacking in the French Revolution, was brought back to life and fashioned into a storybook chateau in the Gilded Age, and was eventually felled and deserted after a disastrous fire in the 1930s.

As Ellie Carver sits by her grandmother’s bedside, she hears stories of a castle… of lost love and a hidden chapel that played host to a secret fight in the World War II French resistance. But her grandmother is quickly slipping into the locked-down world of Alzheimer’s, and Ellie must act fast if she wants to uncover the truth of her family’s history.

Sparked by the discovery of a long forgotten family heirloom, Ellie embarks on a journey to French wine country to uncover the mystery surrounding The Sleeping Beauty— the castle so named for Charles Perrault’s beloved fairy tale— and unearth its secrets before they’re finally silenced by time.

Set in three different time periods—the French Revolution, World War II, and present day—The Lost Castle is a story of loves won and lost, of battles waged, and an enchanted castle that inspired the epic fairy tales time left behind.

THE LOST CASTLE— Book #1 in this new three-book series, will debut in February, 2018.

THE VERSE-MAPPING SERIES— DVD + study guide materials verse-mapping through the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts—will release in early 2018.

You can learn more about verse mapping HERE.

My familiarity with Kristy's writing is of an unusual sort. Kristy became one of my very favorite authors...BEFORE I even read a single word from one of her books. I follow Kristy's blog and read her posts on a regular basis. I don't know how many times by the end of the post I was bawling because her words hit such a deep level of my heart. Her convictions and her faith transfer to her books and it is beautiful. The first thing that stood out to me in Kristy's books was the unabashed faith that she has infused into her stories. I wish I could say that I have read all of her books, but I still haven't read her World War II books. However, Kristy's Jazz Age Entertainers books are superb. Kristy writes from the heart and, I believe, by the prompting of God's voice. To have such moving books that resonate in your heart for weeks and months after reading them. THANK YOU Kristy for everything that you contribute to Christian Fiction. Thank you for standing for what you believe and speaking the truth on so many levels.

The Illusionist's Apprentice

Agent Elliot Matthews stared down a firing squad. The potential executioners held firm in their stance with camera lenses and pencils cocked, all ready to fire. And fire they would, splashing sensational bulletins across the next day’s newspaper headlines. A slew of brash young journalists assembled in the famed Mount Auburn Cemetery, focused on the job at hand. They stood in formation at the front of the crowd, photographers tinkering with cameras and reporters tapping pencils against notepads, all with the itchiness of glorious anticipation. Elliot hated feeling hemmed in, with the press and scores of onlookers closing ranks. He wanted a full view in the event something erupted without warning, so he and his partner melted along the side of the gathering, opting for a perch along the old stone fence bordering Bigelow Chapel. They were still surrounded by the overhang of trees, but at least they would have a clear view of the front row. The faces in the crowd weren’t morose like one would expect to find in a cemetery on such a frigid day. They smiled and chatted, their curiosity piqued as they waited for the show to begin. Police stood by too, poised to arrest anyone who dared to cause a stir. And that’s all Elliot could think it was. A stir. A media frenzy in what should have been a place for mourners and grave diggers. Instead, a crowd of onlookers—spiritualists and press—had shown up at the public invitation printed in the Boston Globe the previous Monday: Famed Medium Horace Stapleton to Defy Death in Public Ceremony on New Year’s Eve. What a terrible waste. Elliot had seen a crowd of mourners fill a cemetery before—one too many times—and didn’t want to be haunted by the host of memories the current setting dared trigger. Not wishing to think back on things he couldn’t change, Elliot turned away and settled his attention on the landscape. If his objective was to forget, staring down lifeless trees seemed safer than watching a bunch of nail-biters in trench coats and fedoras. The canopy of trees formed a bower on all sides. Mist invaded, curling around the trunks of aged sycamores and maples. An icy drizzle coated the leafless limbs, making the scene look like a fragile glass world. “See that?”Elliot elbowed his partner. Agent Connor Finnegan responded with a full-body turn and a squint in Elliot’s direction. “Noticing something, Boss?”He coughed into his palm, a puff of breath on air. “Besides the zoo in front of us?”“The trees.”Elliot motioned to the line of sycamores and the only spot broken in the row of trees shadowing the chapel’s stone border. “Odd. In a well-known and meticulously manicured cemetery like this, the groundskeepers leave a spot untended in full view of the chapel. It’s just there. Barren. Lifeless. Like a tree fell and they neglected to replace it.” (Used with permission)

I have collaborated with all of these authors and I am so excited for this giveaway! I am giving away a box of FIVE books...All signed (one signed bookplate sticker) by the authors! I will also be including some bookish/reading items in the box of books, bookmarks, tea, chocolate, etc. Each "Blogiversary" post will have MORE options to enter to win, so make sure you check back. Today we are kicking it off pretty easy! Please enter via the Rafflecopter form below. If you are having difficulties please email me and we will get your name entered.

Kristy Cambron has contributed a SIGNED copy of The Illusionist's Apprentice for the giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**ONE (1) Winner will be selected by Rafflecopter at the end of the giveaway**

Books provided for giveaway by the individual authors and myself. Books included: Just the Way You Are, The Lady and the Lionheart, The Illusionist's Apprentice, Newton & Polly, Behind the Scenes. I am not compensated for any portion of this giveaway. Some of the books were donated for the giveaway. Giveaway will run 8/1/17 - 9/1/17 at 12:00am PDT. Open internationally. Void where prohibited. Please see Policies and Disclosures for more information. *Bookish swag items subject to change*